Friday, June 7, 2024 The Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), a major Asian film festival recognized by the Academy Awards, kicked off in Tokyo on June 4th! The opening ceremony, held at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA, marked the beginning of a showcase featuring around 270 short films. This year’s theme, “Illuminate Your Life,” brings together works from over 114 countries and regions. Film fans can enjoy the festival at an online venue and five locations across Tokyo.
The ceremony featured a special introduction delivered in four languages (Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese) by an AI voice replicating Tetsuya Bessho, the festival’s director. This innovative introduction was created using “FutureVoice,” a cutting-edge AI voice synthesis technology by NTT TechnoCross Corporation. Seven awards were presented at the ceremony, including the Shibuya Diversity Award, the J-WAVE SOUND OF CINEMA Award, and the U-25 Project Award.
Japan Airlines (JAL) joined the U-25 Project, offering international round-trip tickets as an additional prize for the winners. Additionally, the Amic Sign Awards announced a collaboration to establish a “DAO Fun Token Service,” a future model for crowdfunding that aims to empower creators by facilitating the creation, distribution, and sale of their works. “The festival kicks off today at both physical and online venues,” declared Tetsuya Bessho, the festival director, in his closing remarks.
“We invite you to embark on a cinemati.
